‘Captive State’ Trailer: John Goodman Fights Off an Alien Invasion

When the end of the world comes, who would you rather have protecting you more than John Goodman? Goodman may be our most versatile actor working today; in the last two years he has revisited his sitcom roots (“Roseanne”), brought gravitas to a stylish indie spy thriller (“Atomic Blonde”), and anchored a blockbuster hit with critical support (“Kong: Skull Island”). For his next trick, he will combine those skills to good use in Focus Features’ spring sci-fi offering, staving off an alien invasion in “Captive State,” which just released its first official trailer.

Though much is still unknown about the movie’s particulars, the official synopsis reads: “Set in a Chicago neighborhood nearly a decade after an occupation by an extra-terrestrial force, ‘Captive State’ explores the lives on both sides of the conflict – the collaborators and dissidents.”

Goodman plays a government official tasked with uniting the world against a common extra-terrestrial enemy. He recruits a young operative, the son of a fallen soldier in the fight, played by “Moonlight” star Ashton Sanders. The potential blockbuster is a major role for Sanders, who is better known to the art-house crowd. Next year, he will also star in an adaptation of Richard Wright’s seminal novel “Native Son,” penned by Suzan Lori-Parks.

“Captive State” is directed by “The Rise of the Planet of the Apes” director Rupert Wyatt, who co-wrote the script with Erica Beeney (“The Battle of Shaker Heights”). The movie is a co-production between Dreamworks, Amblin, Participant Media, and Lightfuse & Gettaway.

Focus Features will release “Captive State” in theaters on march 29, 2019. Check out the first official trailer below.